


Earth Dating Is Complicated

by Crazy_Pairing_Person



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-20
Updated: 2015-07-20
Packaged: 2018-04-10 03:30:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4375514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazy_Pairing_Person/pseuds/Crazy_Pairing_Person
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Star asks Jackie if she likes Marco. The reply she gets... Isn't exactly expected. It also makes Star panic and question her friendship with Marco. As in, are they really just friends?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Earth Dating Is Complicated

**Author's Note:**

> I am a huge dork okay. I was talking with a friend yesterday about 'How would Starco happen in the show'. Because that's the kinda thing we talk about. Again, huge dorks.
> 
> Anyway, this was one of the things that came up. (Though the original idea was more of a 'School being divided by 'Team Starco' and 'Team Mackie' while Marco is super embarrassed and Star is 100% oblivious' thing)
> 
> On a side note, we also agreed that Mewni probably has some crazy dangerous courtship rituals. I'll probably write about that too sometime soon.

"Marco! Why haven't you asked Jackie out yet?!"

"I'm not answering that a fifth time."

Star let out an indignant huff and flopped down on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Marco rolled his eyes and turned back to his textbook.

"Moving on from my love life, let's get back to tutoring. Now, if y plus eighteen squared equals-"

"Marco! Tell me!"

Marco sighed and closed the math book.

"Maybe I can help you in Spanish instead. Open your book and-"

"Marco!"

He turned to look at Star with a half amused, half annoyed look. She was staring at him in that way that said she would  _not_ be giving up on this matter.

"Because I don't want to," he said. It was the same answer he'd been giving her for the past half hour each time she'd ask.

"I don't believe that for one second, Marco! You totally want to ask her out! Because you LIKE her!" Star insisted.

"If you say so. Now, _abrir su libro de español por favor._ "

Star gave him a blank look in reply.

"Open your Spanish book please."

"Oh!"

Star grabbed her Spanish book, deciding to drop the matter for now. Still, she would be having a little talk with Jackie tomorrow...

* * *

"Hey, Jackie! Can I talk to you?" Star called, running up to her in the hallway. Jackie stopped her skateboard and quickly turned around. Her eyes went wide when she realized that Marco wasn't with Star.

"Sure. Um, where's Marco?" she asked. Star beamed, thinking Jackie wanted to know because she liked Marco.

"Oh, he's in the restroom. But I had a question for you!"

"What is it?"

Star took a deep breath, her smile stretching across her face even more.

"Do you like Marco?"

Jackie looked rather taken aback.

"Uh, whoa, Star... I never thought of you as the jealous type."

Star's smile fell, and her eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"Jealous type?"

"Star, you got nothing to worry about. Marco and I are just friends."

"Wait, what do you mean? 'I got nothing to worry about'. What does that mean?"

"I mean that I'm not gonna steal your boyfriend. I don't like him like that."

Star's jaw dropped.

" _Boyfriend_?!"

Everyone within earshot jumped from the volume of her shriek. Jackie actually leaped back about a foot, clutching her skateboard like one would a defense weapon.

"Marco's not my- We're just-"

Jackie seemed to realize what Star was attempting to say. She opened her mouth to apologize for jumping to conclusions, when suddenly Star let out a yelp, covering her mouth in shock and fear.

"Are we considered dating on earth?! Did he court me and I didn't realize what- I mean, I don't know about the customs, but he's never  _said_ \- It was just never  _brought up_ \- How do couples even ACT on earth?!"

Star was near hyperventilating, and Jackie saw Marco headed down the hall towards them, so she quickly grabbed the blond princess's arm and dragged her away, to the nearest girls' restroom. She started to gently pat Star on the back, thankful that the next period they both had was lunch.

"Breathe Star, breathe."

Eventually, Star calmed down, leaning over the sink and staring at herself in the mirror. Her face was tinted pink, and she could feel her heart pounding like crazy in her chest.

"You panicked that much... From thinking that you were dating Marco?" Jackie asked, her tone light and joking. Star's face warmed even more, the red deepening as proof. She quickly turned on the tap and splashed cool water on her face in an attempt to cool off and get rid of that  _color_.

"I... I guess so. I mean, how... How would I really  _know_?  What do couples do on earth?"

"It kinda varies, I guess. One thing that's usually consistent with all couples though is the fact that they go on dates."

"That... Sounds kinda like Mewni. What are earth dates like?"

"That  _really_  varies, since different couples would be into different things. Usually they're things that both couples enjoy doing, but there are some traditional things too. Like, dinner and a movie. Sometimes they go out, but other times they stay home and eat homecooked food and rent DVDs. There's also carnivals and fairs, especially ones with ferris wheels. Those are  _super_  romantic. And sometimes they win each other prizes at the booths, like stuffed animals or something. There's also-"

"I get it. Earth dates are boring" Star muttered, her face flushed as she stared into the sink. Still, she could recall many times she and Marco had sat themselves in front of the TV, popped in a movie, and ate leftovers while laughing at whatever they were watching.

"Well, what are Mewni dates like?" Jackie asked, sounding vaguely interested yet amused.

Star opened her mouth to reply,  _We like to do various things, but something lots of couples do is go into the woods and fight monsters. We do it to show off our strength and intellect, and to prove that we can protect one another if needed._

But then she remembered that she and Marco fought monsters  _very often_ and immediately snapped her jaw shut.

"Not much," she muttered. She heard Jackie laugh behind her, but refused to lift her head to look.

"Anyway, something else is that earth couples tend to hug and hold hands a lot. Friends do it too, but less frequently. I'd say you and Marco kinda toe the line a bit."

Star gripped the edge of the sink, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Not  _helping,_ " she hissed. Jackie just laughed again.

"But, there is one thing that you guys haven't done that couples do."

"What is it?" Star asked, desperate for anything that would get these thoughts of her  _dating her best friend_ out of her mind and as far away as she could possibly get them.

"You've never kissed."

Star's stomach dropped.

"Does it count if it was on the cheek?" she asked, her voice quiet and very scared. Jackie was silent for a moment.

"Well, sometimes. Friends _can_ do it on the cheek... They usually settle for a pat on the back... Seriously, it's like you're right on the line right now. I don't have anything to say to help you. Just... Ask him, I guess. But let _me_ ask _you_ something, first."

"What?" Star asked, feeling a bit of dread creep up on her.

"Do you  _want_ to be his girlfriend?"

Star froze, her heart pounding and her face feeling warmer than she ever thought it could. Her vocal chords seemed frozen, her thoughts going a million miles per hour. She shakily looked up to face the mirror, her eyes wide and body shaking.

And then, she started to cry.

" _Yes_. I do, Jackie, I want to... I wanna be his girlfriend," she choked out through her sobs. Jackie started patting her back again, whispering soothing words in an attempt to calm her down once again.

"What's  _wrong_ with me, Jackie? What kind of person falls for... For their  _best friend_?!"

"It happens a lot more often than you'd think. Especially on earth. It's pretty much a known, accepted fact that the more time you spend with someone, the more you get to know them, the more likely you are to fall in love with them."

Star let out a soft whine, trying to calm the sobs that came from her throat and the tears that fell recklessly from her eyes.

It took a few minutes, but eventually she was calmed enough to allow Jackie to lead her out of the restroom...

But then she saw Marco waiting for her, across the hallway- The  _empty_ hallway, which meant that he was supposed to be in the cafeteria- And she almost panicked again.

"You okay Star? You... Look like you were crying."

Star sighed deeply, and plastered a big smile on her face.

"I'm fine, Marco. Don't worry!" she said, though her voice lacked her usual enthusiasm.

Marco just stared at her, clearly not believing it for a minute, before he grabbed her wrist and started to drag her away.

"Wha- Marco! Let go! Where are we-"

"If  _you_ , Star Butterfly, of all living beings, are  _crying_ , then you are  _not_ okay."

Star couldn't find a suitable reply to that, and allowed Marco to drag her out of the school. He got about two blocks away before he released her. He sighed softly before turning to look at her face.

"I did have tickets to the fair that's in town, but if you're not up to it I can give 'em to someone else. We could go another time, cause they're gonna be here all month, and I really think you would enjoy-"

"We can go," Star interrupted, her heart beating a bit quicker in her chest as she remembered that 'Fair' was on the list of 'Traditional Earth Dates' that Jackie had mentioned.

"You sure?" Marco asked, still obviously concerned.

"Yeah. I'm totally sure."

Marco hesitated for a moment.

"Okay. But since you were crying- Again, not normal- I still think we should get you home. You can rest up and then you'll feel better when it's time to go."

Star simply gave a nod in reply. They started their walk back home, filling the silence with smalltalk, neither saying a word or reacting in any way when their hands naturally ended up linked together somewhere along the way.

* * *

At around six, Star and Marco were preparing to leave for the fair.

"Be home by ten thirty!" Mrs. Diaz said, cheerfully smiling as always.

"Of course, mom," Marco replied, and as they bid goodbye, the two teens walked out the door and began their walk down to the fairgrounds.

"So, what goes on at a fair?" Star asked. She'd managed to push her conversation with Jackie near the edge of her mind. She hadn't completely repressed it, but she didn't want to be worrying about it for their whole ( _Date? Friend date? Is friend date even a real term?_ ) because there was no doubt that Marco would notice. So, she decided to occupy her thoughts with other things.

"Well, there's all kinds of stuff. Games, for example. You pay money, and if you win the game, you can get a prize. They also have awesome rides!"

Marco rambled on and on about the fair, which Star was incredibly grateful for. She listened carefully as Marco described the different games and rides found at fairs, until they finally arrived. They went up to a lady at the front, and Marco gave her two tickets. She stamped something on Marco's hand, and then looked at Star.

"Give her your hand. She needs to stamp us so that, if we leave, we can come back tonight without needing more tickets."

Star held out her hand and allowed the woman to press the stamp onto it, then allowed them into the gate.

"Whoa!" Star gasped, looking around at all the people, the booths,  _everything._

Marco held Star's hand as he led her around, letting her 'Ooh!' and 'Ah!' at everything they passed. Eventually, he stopped at a booth with some creepy clown heads that had their mouths wide open, and some water guns set up on the counter. Marco walked up to the man running the game and gave him two dollars.

"Two please."

He turned to Star, giving her a smile.

"Grab that water gun, and aim it at the clown's mouth. Whichever of us gets our balloon to pop first wins," he explained. Star grabbed one of the guns, grinning in excitement, and Marco grabbed the other. They started squirting water at their respective clowns, watching their balloons inflate on their heads.

Star's aim was a bit wobbly, since the gun was much heavier than her wand, so Marco's balloon popped first. He pointed up at a small pink bear with a red heart on its stomach, and the man pulled it down and gave it to him.

"Here," Marco said, as he immediately turned and gave it to Star. Star's face turned slightly pink, her conversation with Jackie earlier flashing through her mind. She quickly shook it from her mind and thanked Marco.

They walked around some more, stopping occasionally to play a game. Marco won Star a small stuffed panda and a plastic tiara, and Star managed to win Marco a cowboy hat and a small stuffed dog.

Eventually, they came to a large ride, what Star could only assume was what Jackie had called a 'ferris wheel' earlier.

"Wanna ride it?" Marco asked, pointing at it. Star gulped slightly, and quickly nodded her head. Marco went to the young girl operating the ride- She looked like she was no older than seventeen- and gave her the money. She let them get on the cart together, and Star felt like she could be on  _fire_ as she realized how close they were sitting. They were strapped in, and the girl walked over to the controls to start it up.

They moved slowly, slowly to the top of the giant wheel. Star's heart was pounding, and she needed to say something  _now_  or she would absolutely go _insane_.

"M-Marco?"

"What's wrong Star?" he asked, his eyes concerned as he turned to look at her.

"Is... Is this a date?"

She choked the words out as fast as she could. She felt her heart pound in her chest in the silence that followed, so loud that she was certain everyone on the _ground_ could hear it.

Star closed her eyes, holding her two new stuffed animals close to her body as she started to shake. She was getting more and more afraid with each passing moment that Marco didn't really like her that way, that maybe Jackie was wrong and she'd planted false hope in her mind. She was only distantly aware of the tiara Marco had won her slipping from her head, but she definitely noticed when she felt Marco's hands reaching over to adjust it.

She opened her eyes hesitantly, feeling relief flood her body at the sight of a gentle smile on her friend's face.

"Well, I'd like it to be a date. If that's okay with you," he said, reaching over and wrapping an arm around her. She allowed him to pull her close, resting her head in the crook of his neck, and he rested his cheek on the top of her head.

"Yeah. That sounds nice," she murmured.

They were silent for a bit, until they stopped at the top of the ride.

"Marco?" she asked, her voice soft.

"Yeah?"

"Are... Are we a couple?"

She heard him chuckle softly, and felt him pull away to plant a kiss on top of her head. Her face warmed considerably at that action, even with the grin that stretched across her face at the same time.

"Yeah, if you wanna be."

Star snuggled closer to her friend- Now her boyfriend- and sighed contentedly.

"Yeah. I definitely want that."


End file.
